Читать книгу Kimberley Chambers 3-Book Butler Collection: The Trap, Payback, The Wronged - Kimberley Chambers - Страница 40

Queenie’s initial joy that her son had awoken from his coma somewhat dwindled during the course of the next week. Looking at Roy was like looking at a completely different person. He was nothing like the son she had known before the shooting. Roy was now paralysed down the left-hand side of his body, and had minimal movement in his right side. He had to be spoon-fed small amounts of mashed-up food like a baby, and his face was drooped on one side which made him look like he had suffered a bad stroke. The poor mite also had no control over his bowel movements and Queenie was sure she could see the horror in his eyes every time he shat the bed. There was no way he could tell anyone how he was feeling though, as when he tried to speak, it was more like noises than words coming out of his mouth. The only plus side that Queenie could think of was Roy recognized his family. He had tears rolling down his cheeks every time Colleen spoke about her pregnancy, so he obviously understood what was going on. He had also tried to ask in his own way what had happened to him, and had understood when Vinny had told him he had been shot outside the club and Johnny Preston had been arrested for the shooting.

‘You OK, Mum? You seem ever so quiet this morning,’ Vinny asked, as he parked his car.

Queenie had always had a reputation for being as hard as nails, but seeing Roy in his current state on a daily basis had really taken its toll on her. In this past week, she had cried more tears than in the previous thirty years, and once again she couldn’t prevent them from rolling down her cheeks.

Vinny took his keys out of the ignition, leant across his seat and enveloped his mother in his arms. The club had re-opened again now, but Vinny hadn’t shirked any of his other responsibilities. He had spent nearly all day every day at the hospital since his brother had woken up and he planned to support both Roy and his mum as much as he could, whatever the future might bring. ‘You got to stop getting upset like this, Mum. Every time I see you cry, it makes me want to do the same. We need to be strong for Roy’s sake, and his unborn child. They are both gonna need us to be at the top of our game, aren’t they?’

‘I just can’t bear seeing your brother as he is, Vinny. He ain’t the boy I gave birth to any more. He’s a fucking vegetable,’ Queenie spat, her face contorted with pain and anger.

Vinny hated hearing his brother referred to as anything but normal. ‘Don’t say shit like that, Mum. We’ve got to be positive. Perhaps the scan results will give us some better news? Roy hasn’t been awake for long, and the doctors did warn us that his recovery would take time and patience.’

‘But, say he don’t get better? Say he never walks and talks again, eh? He can’t stay in hospital forever, and how am I meant to cope if he comes and lives with me? He won’t be able to get up and down the stairs, will he?’

Vinny laid his mother’s head on his shoulder and stroked her bleached-blonde hair. ‘Let’s not look too far ahead, eh? Roy will be in hospital for ages yet, and if he’s still no better when the time comes for him to be discharged, then we can look into other options. Perhaps we could hire some nurses to care for him? I would do anything for my family, Mum, and if that means paying privately for the best care possible to help Roy with his recovery, then so be it.’

For the first time that morning, Queenie managed a weak smile. ‘You’re a good boy, Vinny. The best a mother could wish for.’

Michael Butler felt rather nauseous as he paid the jeweller in crisp twenty pound notes.Getting hitched at his age was the last thing he really wanted to do, but since his mum had checked out Denise’s pregnancy story, which her doctor had confirmed to be true, Nancy had barely spoken to him.

Michael loved Nancy more than he had ever loved any girl, and he knew he was on the verge of losing her forever, which is why he had bought the engagement ring today. It was the only rabbit he could pull out of a hat to save their rapidly deteriorating relationship. Surely marrying her was better than losing her, wasn’t it?

Unaware of her boyfriend’s planned proposal, Nancy was sitting on the bench in her favourite little park currently crying on her mother’s shoulder.

‘Oh, Nancy. Why don’t you come back home, love? I can talk your dad and brother around, so don’t you be worrying about them. You don’t want to stay with a lad who’s having a baby with another girl, do you? It’s too much to take on something like that, especially at your young age.’

‘I know you are right, Mum, but even though I hate Michael for doing this to me, I still love him as well. He says he will support his child financially and as a father, but he has sworn to me he wants nothing whatsoever to do with Denise. He reckons she trapped him on purpose by not taking her contraception pill.’

Mary held her daughter’s hands and squeezed them. ‘Only you can decide what you want to do, darling, but let me tell you one thing. Whenever you have a child with someone it creates a strong bond, and this one’s a bond you won’t be part of. I know Michael says he wants nothing to do with Denise, but once she gives birth to his child he will be in contact with her on a regular basis again. How’re you going to feel when she is ringing up every five minutes asking for this and that or telling him the child isn’t well, Nance? You’ve got your whole life ahead of you, and are beautiful enough to bag yourself any lad you want. I would hate to see you sell yourself short.’

Nancy nodded sadly. What her mum had just said was spot-on and deep down she knew it. ‘I’ll pack my stuff when I get back to Queenie’s, Mum, and tell Michael I’m moving back home. Are you sure Dad will be OK about it?’

‘You leave your bloody father to me, darling. I pulled the wool over his eyes to escape today. I only let him think he wears the trousers to keep him happy. He won’t overrule me, because if he does then I shall leave him. Our home will always be your home, you know that.’

Nancy looked at her watch and silently cursed the time. ‘I’m gonna have to go, Mum. I am already in trouble at work for taking too much time off so I daren’t be late back from lunch. Can you be near the phone if I ring at dead on eight tonight? Make sure you speak to Dad first though so I know everything is OK your end.’

‘I will. When will you move back in?’ Mary asked, her face a picture of happiness.

‘I might as well come back tonight, I suppose. Once I’ve spoken to Michael, then rung you, perhaps Dad will pick me up?’

Mary grinned. ‘You bet he will, and I’ll come with him so you don’t feel awkward.’

‘Thanks for everything, Mum. I’ll see you later,’ Nancy said, before sprinting off.

As Mary walked back to the shop, she could not wipe the smile off her face. She had her little girl back.

At the hospital, Queenie, Colleen and Vinny had just sat down opposite the brain specialist.

‘Well? Have you got the results?’ Vinny asked, impatience creeping into his voice.

‘Yes, I have, and I’m afraid the news isn’t as good as we had hoped for. The scan shows that there has been a considerable amount of damage to Mr Butler’s brain, which is the cause of the paralysis down the right side of his body.’

‘But, he will get better, won’t he? There must be something you can do, surely?’ Vinny interrupted, now agitated.

Bursting into tears, Colleen ran from the room. She was training to be a nurse, therefore knew what the specialist was going to say next and couldn’t bear to hear it.

Queenie sat frozen to her seat. Her heart felt like a lead weight and it was as though time had stood still and she was in a trance. Images of Roy in his younger years flooded through her mind. His first day at school with his little legs poking out of his long shorts. Those same legs sprinting to glory when he won the hundred-yards race at the age of thirteen. Roy dancing with her to Kenny Ball’s ‘My Mother’s Eyes’ on the opening evening of their first ever club. How could it be possible that her handsome, strapping son would never use those legs again?

‘So, what can we do to get him better?’ Vinny asked the specialist.

‘Roy will be given extensive physiotherapy, speech therapy, and help in learning the basics once again. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that your brother will ever live the life that he once did. There has been too much damage to the brain, I fear.’

Vinny was in a shocked kind of stupor. ‘But, he will walk again, won’t he?’

‘Well, obviously miracles have been known to happen, Mr Butler, but if you want my honest opinion, the answer is no.’

When his mother started to cry, Vinny held her in his arms. He could have quite easily broken down in tears himself, but as the eldest child, it was his duty to be a tower of strength, and his mother needed that from him more than ever now. ‘I’ll get Roy the best help possible, Mum, I promise you that. Together, we will get through this. We are Butlers, remember?’

At the nightclub, Karen had just woken up fully clothed with a thumping headache and little recollection of going to bed once again. She half-remembered falling over and Vinny carrying her up the stairs, but she wasn’t sure if she was imagining that part or not.

Karen sat up, perched herself on the end of the bed and stared at her unglamorous reflection in the mirror. She looked like she had two black eyes where she hadn’t taken off her make-up, and her hair stood up on end as if she had been dragged through a hedge backwards. ‘What the hell is happening to me?’ she asked herself out loud. She hadn’t felt right since the terrifying experience she’d suffered on the night of Vivian’s birthday party. The visions of spiders crawling all over the floor, the horrendous metallic taste in her mouth, then the constant vomiting she’d endured throughout the night would be with her for the rest of her life.

The truth of her scary ordeal had come to light the following day. Lenny had been given a couple of LSD tabs at the club by a customer a few weeks ago. He had been told that they would make him feel good and have fun, but frightened to take them himself in case his mum found out, he had decided to give them to Vinny and Karen so they could enjoy themselves instead. As luck would have it, Vinny’s glass that contained the drug had been knocked off the kitchen top by Ahmed’s elbow, so it had been only her that had suffered.

Karen had been furious at Lenny’s stupidity at first, but when Vinny had made him apologize in person, she had found it difficult to stay angry with the boy. Lenny couldn’t help having mental health problems, had seemed genuinely sorry, and had promised never to do anything similar to anyone ever again. Vinny had told Karen that he knew the bloke who had given Lenny the tabs and was personally going to teach him a lesson. He had also given his cousin a good telling-off in front of her too, but what Karen obviously didn’t realize was it was all an act and Lenny had been paid fifty pounds for his part in the drama.

Karen had begged Vinny to tell his family the truth. She felt so embarrassed by her outrageous behaviour that she insisted she was too ashamed to face the Butler clan again unless they were aware of what had really happened.

Vinny had refused. He said he wasn’t a grass and there was no way he was going to get Lenny into trouble. He had promised to one day explain that Karen had been accidently spiked up by somebody else though, but now wasn’t the right time as his family had enough on their plates with the Roy situation.

Karen ran a bath, had a quick dip, and then dried herself with a king-sized towel. Her move into her lovely new flat had been temporarily delayed as there had been a hitch with the previous tenants. A family death had stopped them collecting their belongings when they were supposed to, but Ahmed had promised her that the situation would be resolved in the next few days.

Having already given back her keys to her own flat to the council, Karen had hoped when Vinny suggested she stay at the club it would bring them closer together. It hadn’t though. Karen had been sleeping in Roy’s room and had not even shared as much as a kiss with Vinny. He had hinted the other day that they would share a bed when she moved into her own property though, and that thought had made Karen very happy indeed.

Karen hadn’t seen much of her son since the evening her drink had been spiked. Only twice Vinny had brought him to the club and both times Little Vinny had seemed quite reserved and wary of her. Karen had cried after her son’s last visit when he had refused to kiss her goodbye, but Vinny had promised that this Thursday, he would let Little Vinny take a day off school and all three of them would have a nice family day out. Vinny insisted that the boy had just been scared by what he had seen and would soon forget all about it. What he hadn’t told Karen was that he had told his son that his mother had a bad drug problem, and it would be better if he didn’t get too close to her in case she started acting all weird again.

Karen got dressed and rang her friend Debbie. Vinny had made her swear that she wouldn’t tell anybody that it was Lenny who spiked her drink, but Karen had told the two people she trusted, Debbie and Nancy. Both had been so supportive this past week, and had promised to keep what had happened to themselves.

‘You all right, mate?’ Debbie asked.

‘No, not really. I don’t remember going to bed again last night and I have a really shitty headache. I don’t know what’s a matter with me lately. That’s twice I’ve somehow got drunk and blanked out in the past week and I haven’t drunk any more than usual. Perhaps it is the after-effects of that awful bloody trip?’

‘Listen, don’t take this the wrong way, but I think something isn’t right. First, you get spiked with the LSD, then the lovely flat isn’t ready for you to move into. Now you’ve mysteriously got drunk twice in a week without drinking much and for no apparent reason, blanked out. Something don’t sound kosher to me, Kaz.’

Karen was stunned by her pal’s little speech. Whatever was she insinuating? ‘So, what you saying, Deb? You don’t think Vinny is trying to poison me or something, do you?’

‘I really don’t know, mate. Look, I’m gonna have to go now, I’ve got to pick the boys up from school. Just be careful, Kaz, and any time you’re worried just ring me and you can come and stay here.’

‘Do you honestly think I’m in that much danger?’ Karen asked, her heart pounding nineteen to the dozen.

‘I don’t know, but watch your back, Kaz, just in case.’

When Colleen’s relations turned up at the hospital, Queenie and Vivian decided to make themselves scarce. Colleen had been as devastated as anyone about the scan results and seeing as her family had just arrived from Ireland again, Queenie thought it only right that they should spend some time alone together.

Queenie’s earlier sorrow had now been replaced with feelings of bitterness. Her Roy had always been a good lad. He was kind and considerate, so what the hell had he done to deserve such appalling injuries?

‘’Ere you go, get that down your neck. I’ve poured myself one an’ all. Think we can do with a drink after the day we’ve had, don’t you?’ Vivian stated.

Queenie snatched at the glass and knocked the sherry back in a couple of gulps. ‘Can’t believe how cruel life can be, Vivvy. There definitely ain’t no fucking God, you know. Makes me sick that you’ve got all them kiddy-fiddlers and wicked bastards roaming the streets who never catch as much as a fucking cold. Why do bad things happen to decent people like us, eh?’

‘I know what you mean, Queen. I was bitter for a long time after my Lenny was born with his difficulties. I thought, why me and him? Why not some other bastard’s child? Look what an awful mother that Old Mother Taylor was. Dirty whore, and them poor little mites of hers were brought up in squalor. Nothing ever happens to people like that old cow though. Tragedy always strikes good souls such as you and I.’

‘I wish my Roy was dead, you know. Would have been much kinder if he had croaked it as soon as he’d been shot,’ Queenie said, in her usual blunt manner.

‘Aw, don’t say that, Queen. It is early days. With the right sort of treatment, Roy still might be able to lead a half-decent life, and he’s gonna be a dad for the first time. I know it don’t seem like it at the moment, but there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. It just might take a while for it to start shining your way.’

‘Light! Don’t make me fucking laugh. I gave birth to that boy and I can see the look of confusion and horror in his eyes. Why do you think he cries every time Colleen’s pregnancy is mentioned, eh? He don’t want his kid to have a fucking spastic for a father, that’s why. My Roy’s life is over, Viv, and the quicker we all accept that, the better. All he has got left to look forward to is endless hospital appointments, and sitting in his own piss and shit for the rest of his days,’ Queenie spat.

Just as Vivian was about to reply, the doorbell rang and she leapt up to answer it. ‘What the hell! Where do you think you’re going? Get out of here,’ Vivian yelled.

Freda Smart barged past Vivian and marched into the lounge. She then pointed her fat forefinger in Queenie’s face. ‘I know it’s your Vinny that’s had my Terry done in, which is why I have just been to the police station and given a statement. I hope you’re proud of yourself, Queenie Butler, for raising such a fucking monster. Now, where is my grandson?’

Dean had been upstairs playing records with Brenda when he had heard his grandmother’s booming voice. ‘What’s up, Nan? Has Dad come home?’ he asked hopefully, as he ran down the stairs.

‘No, he ain’t, and he never will come home again, boy. You dad’s dead, I can feel it in my bones. It’s her evil bastard of a son that’s killed him. That psycho needs hanging from the gallows.’

Queenie leapt out of her chair. The gossip-mongers had already been in overdrive about Terry Smart’s disappearance and even though she’d guessed that her Vinny was responsible in a round-about way, she would defend her son’s innocence to the hilt. ‘I am sick of my family being blamed for everything bad that happens in this area, and I ain’t putting up with it no more. For your information, the night your Terry went missing my Vinny was up the hospital with me. Roy had come out of his coma and we were there all night long. Ask the fucking doctors and nurses if you don’t believe me, you deluded old bat. Now, get out my house and don’t you ever come back.’

When his nan started to argue her point, Dean grabbed her by the arm. ‘Come on, Nan, let’s get you home. I’ll stay at yours tonight. We haven’t spent much time together recently.’

Brenda was furious. ‘And what about me? I hope you don’t think once the baby is born, you can walk out every time she has a tantrum, because I won’t put up with it, Dean,’ she shouted, pointing at Freda.

Thinking what a selfish bitch his fiancée was, Dean led his nan outside and slammed the front door.

Wormwood Scrubs prison wasn’t the best holiday resort that Johnny Preston had ever visited, but for the first time since he had been banged-up, he had a spring in his step again.

Roy waking up from his coma had been a massive weight off Johnny’s shoulders. His brief had told him that he would now only be up for attempted murder, plus a firearms charge, and if he were lucky, could be out in eight or ten years. Billy One Ear being banged-up on his wing had been another plus. Billy was from his old stamping ground, and they had often drunk in the same pubs together in South London back in the day. Billy had been given a ten stretch for armed robbery, and he was the daddy of the wing. Johnny, being his pal, was now shown massive respect by the other lags which suited Johnny’s ego no end. It also made prison life a damn sight easier.

The third reason why Johnny was in such a chirpy mood was because of the letters he’d received today. His daughter had written to him to apologize for speaking out about his fling. She had asked Johnny to write back to her and told him that she forgave him and would always love him no matter what.

The other letter had been a real bolt out of the blue. It had been from his sister who he hadn’t spoken to or seen for years since a family argument. Judy was also keen to build bridges. She had given him her new address and wanted to visit him.

Johnny re-read his daughter’s letter. He was amazed by how mature she suddenly sounded. Joanna had always been good at English, but seeing as she had only just turned thirteen, she wrote as well as any adult he knew. Perhaps she might really make something of her life one day and become an author or a journalist?

Grinning from ear to ear as he read the PS line at the bottom again, Johnny folded the letter carefully and put it under his mattress for safe-keeping. Joanna had asked for a visiting order, she wanted to see him, and while he had his daughter’s love, Johnny could handle anything else that prison life might chuck his way. The old Preston spirit was back with a bang.

Feeling like a condemned man on death row, Michael trudged up his mother’s stairs. ‘You all right, babe? What you doing?’ he asked his girlfriend. Nancy was sitting on their bed with her suitcase by her side.

Nancy had promised herself that she would not cry, but looking at the bewildered expression on her boyfriend’s face, she could not help her tears. ‘I am so sorry, Michael, but I am moving back to my parents. I love you and always will, but I want to have my own children. I don’t want to raise somebody else’s.’

Michael sat down on the edge of the bed. ‘Nance, if I could change Denise getting pregnant, then I would, babe. Yes, I will have to support the child, but I swear I will have fuck all to do with her. She trapped me, why should I? It’s you I love and you I want kids with.’

Nancy shook her head. ‘You say all that, Michael, but I know you don’t really mean it. You’re not ready for us to get a place of our own, let alone get married and have kids. I might be young, but I’m not stupid. I saw the look of fright in your eyes that last time I mentioned us getting hitched.’

Michael stood and paced up and down the room. He really wasn’t ready to propose, but what choice did he have? ‘I don’t think you know me quite as well as you think you do, Nance. If you did, then why would I have bought you this?’ Michael asked, chucking the red velvet box on the bed next to Nancy.

Nancy had always been a bit of a romantic at heart. At the age of fourteen she had played Juliet in her school play and had been awaiting her very own Romeo to whisk her off her feet ever since. Picking up the box, Nancy opened it and gasped. It was a beautiful engagement ring with a big diamond in the centre and two smaller stones either side. ‘Oh Michael, it’s beautiful.’

Michael dropped to one knee and grabbed his girlfriend’s hand. ‘I still don’t want to rush into anything, babe, but surely getting engaged proves how I feel about you? Please don’t let this Denise crap spoil what we have.’

‘Getting engaged still doesn’t change the fact that another girl is carrying your child, Michael. Anyway, I’ve told my mum that I’m moving back home now.’

Michael placed the ring on the third finger of Nancy’s left hand. ‘Please don’t leave me, Nance. Agree to marry me instead.’

Donald Walker was not a man to show much emotion, but inwardly he was thrilled that his daughter would be returning home this evening. He was still annoyed that Nancy had got herself involved with Michael Butler in the first place, but he was willing to forgive even if it might take him a long while to forget.

At ten to eight, Mary sat by the phone willing it to hurry up and ring. ‘Go and put your jacket on, Donald, and get me a coat. We’ll be leaving in a minute and it’s chilly outside tonight.’

Christopher scowled at his mother. He thought his parents were being far too lenient with Nancy, considering how badly she had treated them.

The sound of the phone bursting into life made Mary jump. ‘Hello, love. Me and your dad are ready. Where do you want us to pick you up from?’

Nancy took a deep breath. ‘Mum, I’m so sorry. Please don’t hate me, but I’m not coming home now.’

‘What! Why? The Butlers aren’t stopping you from leaving, are they? If they’ve threatened you, you must tell me, Nancy.’

Nancy felt awful as she plucked up the courage to tell her mother the truth. ‘No, Mum. It’s nothing like that. Michael bought me a beautiful engagement ring, so I’ve agreed to stay and give our relationship another go.’

As a huge racking sob escaped from her lips, Mary dropped the phone in shock.

With Debbie’s stark warning still fresh in her mind, Karen felt edgy when Vinny suggested they both take a night off work and he take her out for a nice meal instead. ‘Aw, thanks for asking, Vin, but to be honest I’m not that hungry and I’d rather just work.’

‘Don’t be daft. I’ll still pay you for your shift, babe. A pal of mine has a lovely steakhouse in Canning Town and I was gonna take you there.’

Karen shook her head. ‘You go with Ahmed. To be honest, I feel embarrassed because I got in a bit of a state again last night and I would rather face the staff and apologize immediately. I’ve made a decision. I’m not drinking any more alcohol, Vinny. I’m sticking to orange juice instead.’

Vinny was immediately alarmed. There was a very special reason why he had to take Karen to that particular restaurant this evening, and he was determined to get her there by hook or by crook. He sat down next to her on the sofa and put his hand on her knee. ‘Babe, I want us to get back together properly. I’ve taken things at a steady pace because I wanted to be sure about us first. I am sure now, and that’s why I’ve booked the restaurant tonight. You must have a drink. I’ve spent a fortune on champagne and it’s waiting for us on ice.’

Any earlier doubts about Vinny’s intentions towards her were banished from Karen’s mind. Grabbing Vinny’s hand, she led him towards the bedroom.

Vinny felt physically sick when Karen firstly stuck her tongue in his mouth, then tried to fondle his manhood. Knowing what was in store for her later, there was no way he could get a lob on. ‘I’m sorry, babe, but I want you so bad it’s making me feel nervous. Let’s go to the restaurant and we can come back here and get it on later, eh? I’ve been on my own for so long, I need a few drinks to relax me first,’ Vinny lied.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Karen removed her hand from Vinny’s nether regions and nodded. She had waited a long time to be intimate with Vinny again, so another few hours wouldn’t kill her, would it?

The atmosphere in the Walker household was as though a death had occurred.

‘I mean it, Mary. If you have any contact with that girl again after the way she has upset us all tonight, I will never forgive you.’

‘I’m sorry, Donald. If I’d have known that Nancy would break our hearts like this, I would have never asked you to allow her to come back home. I’m devastated, and so, so disappointed in her. Now she is engaged to Michael, I know we’ve lost her for good,’ Mary cried.

Donald held his sobbing wife in his arms. He loved his Mary, hated seeing her so distraught and, unusually for him, had tears in his own eyes. ‘We have to let her go now, darling. Nancy has chosen to marry the enemy, and I hope on her wedding day when she looks around and sees not one member of her own family in attendance, she will realize what pain she has caused to us.’

In a restaurant in Canning Town, Karen was thoroughly enjoying herself. She had felt a little deflated earlier when Vinny hadn’t been able to perform in the bedroom, but she was fine again now.

‘You enjoying yourself? It’s so nice to be a proper couple again, isn’t it?’ Vinny asked.

‘Yes, it’s lovely. When are we going to tell Little Vinny? Can we tell him together?’

‘I thought perhaps we’d get my mum, aunt, and the rest of the family together at the weekend and tell them all at once,’ Vinny lied.

‘Sounds perfect. Who was that man who just spoke to you, Vinny? The one who just left with the black suit on,’ Karen asked.

Vinny leant forward across the table. Canning Town wasn’t his territory and he didn’t want anybody to think he was gossiping. ‘That was Eddie Mitchell. Him and his family run this manor like me and mine run Whitechapel. Why do you ask, babe? You don’t know him, do you?’

Karen giggled. ‘No. I just asked because he was handsome like you, and I could tell he was a somebody.’ Vinny had been plying her with champagne all evening, and Karen hadn’t wanted to be a spoilsport and refuse to drink it as they truly were celebrating something special.

‘Do you want a dessert, babe? I think I’ll order us another bottle of champagne. No rush to get home, is there? Especially seeing as we’ll probably be spending all night and tomorrow in bed together.’

Karen beamed from ear to ear. ‘No, I don’t want a dessert, but I must use the ladies’ room. Where is it?’

‘Upstairs, babe. The ladies’ is the first door you come to on the left.’

As Karen walked away from the table, Vinny checked no-one was watching him, topped up her glass, and discreetly added the crushed tablets to it. He shoved in a very high dosage, like he had when he had spiked her drinks twice at the club, and therefore knew it wouldn’t be too long before he would have to ring his special cab to come and collect her.

Vinny had planned this evening to perfection. The flat he had supposedly rented for Karen actually belonged to a friend of Ahmed who had gone on holiday and entrusted Ahmed with a key to keep an eye on it. Vinny had put that idea in place as he had wanted to keep Karen in his clutches, rather than have her disappearing back to Dagenham. His staff at the club had been shocked when Karen had made a fool of herself at his Auntie Viv’s birthday party, but seeing her collapse and have to be carried upstairs twice in the club since had really sewn the seeds that she was a junkie, which is exactly what Vinny had wanted.

Vinny had also chosen this restaurant for a specific reason. The manager of it was a regular at his club and had been there both times when Karen had collapsed. Vinny had already explained to him a couple of weeks ago that Karen had a drug problem and he was at his wit’s end at what to do to help her. He had also told Nick he was trying to make a go of their relationship for the sake of his son. Unbeknown to many people, Nick’s brother-in-law was East End Old Bill and Vinny knew if push came to shove, Nick would back his innocence surrounding Karen’s demise to the hilt.

Vinny smiled as Karen returned from the toilet. ‘’Ere you go, babe. To us,’ he toasted, handing Karen another glass of bubbly.

Within ten minutes, Vinny saw Karen’s eyes begin to droop, and soon after she began to slur her words. Excusing himself from the table, Vinny walked up to the tiny bar and spoke to Nick. ‘I think Karen has taken something again, mate. She seemed fine until she went to the toilet, now look at the state of her.’

Just as Nick turned around, Karen’s forehead made contact with the table. ‘Jesus Christ. Do you want me to call you a cab?’ Nick asked.

‘It’s definitely smack she is taking, that’s why she keeps going all goofy on me. I spotted a couple of needle marks in her arm the other day and I reckon she has just injected herself in your khazi. Sick of it I am, Nick, fucking sick of it. I’ve done my utmost to help her and I find it so embarrassing,’ Vinny said, sincerely.

Nick patted his pal on the shoulder. There were only about twenty other people in the restaurant apart from the staff, and none were taking much notice of Karen so it was no big deal. ‘Don’t blame yourself, pal. I’ll call you a cab, shall I?’ Nick repeated.

‘Do you know what, Nicky-boy, my mate’s cousin is a cabbie so I’m gonna call him at home and get him to take Karen back to the club. I’m gonna stay here with you for a bit and have a beer, if that’s OK? When you lock up, why don’t you come back to the club with me? I quite fancy a game of cards.’

Nick had always been a big gambler and, as Vinny knew only too well, could never say no to a game that involved money. ‘Yeah, why not. Will Karen be all right travelling back with just the cabbie though?’

‘Yeah, I’ll ring the staff at the club and tell them to open the back door and help her up to bed. I can’t deal with her problems all the time, Nick. I need a break myself.’

‘I understand. Use my phone out the back, mate.’

Vinny followed Nick out the back of the restaurant. He then rang Ahmed’s cousin. ‘Hello, mate. Do you think you could come and pick Karen up in your cab for me? She is in a bit of a state, and I need you to take her back to the club and make sure she gets inside all right.’

Nick shut the door and left his pal to finish his conversation in peace. He felt sorry for Vinny having a junkie as the mother of his kid. What man wouldn’t?

Karen had no memory of the events that followed, or the squalid flat in Poplar she was taken to.

Injected in the left arm with an enormous amount of heroin, Karen died almost immediately.

Three hours later, her body was found dumped in a nearby street behind a row of stinking dustbins.